Serena Matsunaga is a management consultant focused on higher education. Over the past fifteen years, she has worked with more than twenty-five colleges and universities on issues related to strategic planning, student retention, enrollment management, organizational effectiveness, and resource management.​

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As a former Director in Huron Consulting Group’s higher education practice, Serena led numerous strategic planning projects at colleges and universities of varying sizes.  She managed large-scale engagements related to organizational structure, business process improvement, operational efficiency, information technology strategy and governance, and cost management. 

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Serena served as the strategy and academic analysis advisor at the University of Tennessee where she reported to the Provost.  In this role, she led the five-year refresh process for UT’s strategic plan and facilitated strategic plan development for colleges and academic departments.  She led internal consulting projects, including initiatives targeted at raising student retention and graduation rates, transforming academic advising, improving campus diversity and inclusion, and building the university’s enrollment plan.  She worked collaboratively with campus units to build decision support capabilities that improve quality and use of data to support strategic decisions in academic areas. 

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In addition to University of Tennessee, a sample of her previous clients include Boston College, the Manhattan School of Music, Claremont McKenna College, Emory University, University of Kentucky, Clemson University, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

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Serena grew up on a U.S. Army installation in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands (now the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Site) where she graduated from high school.  Serena began her career as a congressional aide for Congressman Patsy T. Mink from Hawaii.  

She holds a BA in history and political science from Indiana University and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.  As a first-generation college graduate of Native Hawaiian descent, Serena is passionate about strengthening our nation’s universities and improving access to higher education.

serena@torchstared.com